ColumnGreen marketers want us to believe in their products while hiding their dirty laundry.

To listen to the marketers, it’s a brave new green world of products out there. But greenwash is greenwash and Burmese teak is bad news no matter how you slice it. A gas hog SUV is still a planetary parasite even with a hybrid emblem. And some of the so-called sustainable successes are merely bad ideas passed off as alternative chic.

We pulled a handful of products for you to take a closer look at.

Curtain Call

Many are pondering the utility of the Energy Curtain,the solar-powered alternative to the window blind. It is designed to store energy all day to switch off lights at night. But since it has to be drawn all day to charge up, you have to turn on lights inside to get the electric glow when it goes dark. Maybe it’s best to use natural light during the day, and as little power as possible at night.

Less Packaging, Higher Price

Touted for 24% less packaging and more concentrated powder for smaller scoops, the new Ultra Tide simply doesn’t do the trick, according to users who say it’s the same chemically enhanced powder as the old one except they shrunk the box and raised the price. Boxes that are bite-sized are great, but it’s still the same harsh formula for fighting stains. In other words, it gets under your skin in a bad way.

Green Thumbs Down

For those desperately in need of seeing green in their cubicle, the USB powered Mini Greenhouse from DreamCheeky has arrived, letting you grow your own marigolds with the artificial soil and seeds provided. Fresh, faux or freaky? As Mainstreet points out, the so-called good green system calls for a PC with Intel Pentium 4 operating at 2.4 gigahertz or faster, at least 128 megabytes of RAM, a Windows compatible soundcard, a CD-ROM drive, plus a specific type of display adapter capable of Microsoft Windows XP. Yes, installed on your Windows PC, you can monitor nature at work (sans the sunlight). Really?

It’s A Wash

The Swiffer Vac mopping system may appeal to us slobs who are looking for a quick clean-up in our dirty nests, but the non biodegradable, plastic cleaning mop isn’t actually greener than the old tools, despite claims of saving gallons of hot water. Instead of the precious water, this nifty gadget uses single-use chemically-soaked cleaning wipes destined for the landfill heap. We love all the green (color) branding that tries to distract you into thinking Swiffer is really eco-friendly.

Teaked Off

You hear the floor or trays are teak and you are certain that means eco-friendly – from certified plantations, right? But when it comes to Burmese teak, logs yielding as much as $25,000 are stolen from ravaged forests and shipped to Japan, the U.S and Europe and turned into nice patio furniture. Over 24.7 million cubic feet of teak is taken from the Myanmar’s forests by Thai companies helping to finance the Burmese military government’s long border war against ethnic insurgents. While many floor companies are shunning the teak, you can still harvest it online through many sources.

Images: Torely; Cushnie et Ochs‘; DreamCheeky; Procter &  Gamble; Chevrolet; Procter & Gamble; Perpetual Kid; Teakworks4U, redwood1

Editor’s note: The Beige Report is an open EcoSalon team column showcasing the most ridiculous in green design and marketing greenwash. Buyer beware.

The post The Beige Report: Greenwashing Makes Us Feel Dirty appeared first on EcoSalon.

Much as we love colors and textures inspired by Mother Nature, we also can’t resist industrial-inspired forms like the recycled steel chandelier pictured below. Why not get the best of both worlds by mixing and matching the earthy and urban? Here’s what’s on our wish list this week.

1. Felted Wool Outdoor Stones from VivaTerra ($395-695, pictured above)

   We’ve covered wool-covered stones in the past, but nothing on this scale. VivaTerra, our sister site, suggests using these felted stones as outdoor seating. And when they’re not in use, they’ll blend in seamlessly with your backyard.

   

2. Teak Root Basket from Redefine Home ($89)

   We love the versatility of this teak root basket, which is made from reclaimed wood. Whether mounted on a bathroom wall or resting on a hallway table, this basket creates an instant conversation piece.

   

3. Birdie Doormat from Chia’sso ($38)

   With its cheerful colors and modern design, this doormat welcomes you and your visitors into the space. It also features a recycled, non-slip rubber backing.

   

4. Amenity Cove Pillow in Cream and Moss ($93)

   We’re borderline obsessed with the calming, earthy colors found in Amenity’s pillows. This one comes in three different sizes and is made from organic cotton blended with hemp.

   

5. Shaken Dining Chandelier from Varaluz (price not listed)

   Recycled steel and opal layered glass create a strikingly modern piece that’s part sculpture, part chandelier. We totally picture this baby illuminating a glass-top dining table and a set of black leather parson’s chairs.

Which piece(s) make you drool? Anything you’re not so keen on? We’d love to know!

The post Friday Five: When Earthy Met Urban appeared first on EcoSalon.

Porcelained out? Carve your niche with an alternative sink for soaking up greener materials like certified teak, bamboo, recycled metal and glass and friendly painted ceramics. You can even experiment with poured concrete with 50% recycled fly ash, as seen in the striking orange basin by Jeremy Levine Design.

Here is a handful of other options we rounded up:

From William Garvey’s Fusion Line of handmade sinks from certified teak grown in the mixed deciduous forests of South Asia.

Spotted at the Story Hotel in Stockholm, these decorative ceramic bowls make brilliant bathroom basins.

Recycled aluminum and brass vessel sinks from ECO round out the eco bath and are paired well with a bamboo plywood or stone tile counter top.

Handblown recycled glass emerges as sensuous craft for the bath with the clear tortoise trim Classic design (above) and Ocean shell (below) from Bear Creek Glass.

Main Image: Jeremy Levine Design

The post Sink or Whim? Either Way They Bowl Us Over appeared first on EcoSalon.